Regional Observatory for the Public, Songkhla

The third astronomical learning centre that operates in full capacity for the public

Providing academic services for the local communities and supporting the implementation of astronomical curricula in schools. It also serves as another astro-tourism landmark in southern Thailand.

The ROP, Songkhla is located at latitude 7 0 9’ 29’’ N 1000  36' 39'' E in Khao Roop Chang, Muang District, Songkhla province on the 25 Rais of land. The operation commenced on the 25^th of July 2019 as a southern hub for astronomical learning centre, disseminating academic services to the local communities, supporting research works in astronomy for students and educational institutes in the south. It also stand as a comprehensive Muslim learning centre.

Under the given 25 Rais of land, NARIT is operating its astronomical academic services in 3 building in the compound namely Administrative building, Planetarium, and Observatory Tower. Other constructions include outdoor viewpoint that opens up to 270 degree, providing an exclusive view of Songkhla city, coffee shop, restaurant and observation deck symbolising Scorpius constellation.

 

Name: Regional Observatory for the Public, Songkhla

Address: 79/4 Moo 4, Khao Roop Chang, Muang District, Songkhla Province 90000
Observatory Coordinates: Latitude 7 0 9’ 29’’ N 1000  36' 39'' E
Area size : 25 Rais

Operation Commenced: 25 July 2019 HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously presided over the opening ceremony.

 

Infrastructures at ROP, Songkhla

NARIT has been running the exhibition zone within the Operation Office of ROP, Songkhla to disseminate astronomical knowledge to the public, teachers, students and those who are interested in learning astronomy and other related fields. The exhibition zone is showcasing various topics such as light and astronomy, telescopes and astronomical discovery, astronomical fundamental knowledge, presented through interactive multimedia, creating excitement, inspiration and scientific awareness to visitors with 15 learning stations namely;

1. Seasons and Earth orbit around the Sun
2. The occurrence of the waning and waxing moon
3. Moon phases
4. Tidal phenomenon
5. Moon craters
6. Colors of light combination
7. Gas Planet Orbit
8. Weight comparison on planets in the Solar System
9. Light and Astro-photography
10. Cosmic Ray Particle Detection Equipment
11. Constellation Observation
12. Planet replicas in the Solar System
13. Planet scales in the Solar System
14. Campo del Cielo Meteorite
15. Mars spacecraft lander

 

Planetarium

Service hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Close on Mondays and Public Holidays)

 

Full-dome digital Planetarium

Tuesday – Friday: 11.00 – 12.00 and 15.00 – 16.00 hours

Saturday: 10.00 – 11.00 / 14.00 – 15.00 / 17.00 – 18.00 hours

Sunday: 10.00 – 11.00 and 14.00 – 15.00 hours

Entrance Fees

Adult: 50 THB per person

Students: 30 THB per person

 

NARIT Public Night

Every Saturday 18.00 – 22.00 hours **Free of charge**

The 10-metre planetarium at ROP, Songkhla is equipped with FullDome digital projector, with 25 million pixel high definition. It can accommodate 52 seats each round that lasts for an hour. The presentation comes in live lectures by NARIT Public Outreach officers, followed by up-to-date astronomical short documentary.

 

ROP, Songkhla landscape
The ROP, Songkhla is located at latitude 7 0 9’ 29’’ N 1000  36' 39'' E in Khao Roop Chang, Muang District, Songkhla province on the 25 Rais of land. the outdoor viewpoint that opens up to 270 degree, providing an exclusive view of Songkhla city. Making it a perfect location for observation activities and learning hub in astronomy as Songkhla’s astro-tourism attraction. It is adjacent to the Comet Bridge, representing astronomical identity, lit up with LED lights at night.

 

Astronomy Tower

The Astronomy Tower comprises of 2 main parts. The first part is the sliding-roof building, equipped with 6 telescopes inside to accommodate astronomical services in both theory and hands-on. With the provided space, allowing the perfect night observations. The LiDAR air monitors have also been installed around the sliding-roof building for atmospheric science research, along with the all-sky camera, which is the vital equipment to detect weather conditions for the use of all astronomical instruments.

The second part being the 18-foot shell-shape fiberglass dome that opens up to 360 degrees, enabling all-sky observation. Inside is equipped with 0.7 refracting telescope, controlled by computer via internet. The telescope itself comes with high definition CCD Camera, LRGB color filter and narrow band filter, planet camera, spectrograph for data collection in research and celestial object photography during astronomical phenomena. It also come with separate eye lens for the convenience of both naked-eye observation and CCD Camera photography, in order to accommodate fundamental to advanced research works.

 

Telescopes and other equipment at ROP, Songkhla

1. 14-inch telescope, with modern navigation and automatic tracking system. Equipped with Guider Scope to assist with better resolution of celestial object photography.
2. 8-inch telescope, with modern navigation and automatic tracking system.
3. 150-milimeter High Quality Refracting Telescope, stands out with Apochromatic lens that comes in such a quality, making it visible to observe closely the Moon craters, Cloud details, Jupiter’s red storm and Mars craters.
4. 125-milimeter Binoculars is a large binoculars used for planet observation, open cluster, moon. This type of binoculars provide a rather dimentional images to observers than other types of telescopes.
5. 106-milimeter and 130-milimeter Refracting Telescope, equipped with high quality lens on the German Equatorial tracking background. Enables these telescopes for the all-night-long planet tracking, ideal for large celestial object observation such as Moon, Orion Nebula, Pleiades.
6. Solar Telescope, designed especially for safe solar observation. Observers are able to see clearly of Solar Prominence, while other telescopes with solar filter could only see the sun spots.

 

NARIT Public Night

               The Public Night is an activity that focuses on providing astronomical services to those with keen interests in astronomy. It is held every Saturday from sunset to 22.00 hours. Mobile telescopes will be deployed across the observation field for visitors to observe celestial objects, together with public lectures and other entertainment.

 

ROP, Songkhla Academic Services

NARIT has been running the exhibition zone within the Operation Office of ROP, Songkhla to disseminate astronomical knowledge to the public, teachers, students and those who are interested in learning astronomy and other related fields. The exhibition zone is showcasing various topics such as light and astronomy, telescopes and astronomical discovery, astronomical fundamental knowledge, presented through interactive multimedia, creating excitement, inspiration and scientific awareness to visitors with 15 learning stations namely;

1. Seasons and Earth orbit around the Sun
2. The occurrence of the waning and waxing moon
3. Moon phases
4. Tidal phenomenon
5. Moon craters
6. Colors of light combination
7. Gas Planet Orbit
8. Weight comparison on planets in the Solar System
9. Light and Astro-photography
10. Cosmic Ray Particle Detection Equipment
11. Constellation Observation
12. Planet replicas in the Solar System
13. Planet scales in the Solar System
14. Campo del Cielo Meteorite
15. Mars spacecraft lander

 

Awareness and Enthusiasm Activities at ROP, Songkhla

1. Speaker Assistant Training (22 – 23 December 2019)

Speaker Assistant Training is an activity held in both theory and hands-on sessions, aiming for students to be able to communicate scientific and astronomical information to the public, with 40 participating students from the south. From this activity, ROP, Songkhla has created skilled volunteers with astronomical tools and equipment, as well as enhancing human capacity at ROP in the future.

2. National Children’s Day Activity (9 – 13 January 2019)

National Children’s Day Activity in 2019 was held to showcase astronomical and technological exhibition, so as to create inspiration in scientific and astronomical learning for students – encouraging them to possess scientific critical analysis from such an early age. The ROP, Songkhla ran the aforementioned activity at Central Festival Hat Yai during 9 – 13 January 2019, and at Khao Roop Chang Municipality on 12 January 2019.

3. “Reach for the Star Activity”

The annual activity was most recently held in 2019 during astronomical phenomena such as Super Full moon and meteor shower. Mobile telescopes were deployed along with exhibition, public talks and lectures in astronomy for the local communities in Songkhla. In the year 2019, “Reach for the Star” was held at 3 different times, with overwhelming interests and enthusiasm from the public. Making the public to have full understanding about astronomy and astronomical phenomena.

4. Astronomy for Inclusion

This activity is held with the aim to disseminate learning opportunity for students and people with disabilities. This activity was first held in 2019 and is still ongoing. The first time focused on school students under the royal patronage, in the form of astronomy camp which lasted 2 days and 1 night, in parallel with voluntary development camp for the border police patrol schools – allowing its 100 students to have the first-hand experience in astronomy learning from the toolkits brought from the ROP.

5. Stargazing Activity to determine Ramadan Fasting Day

This activity is held for Moon observation through the astronomy camp and academic service for religious practices in Islam. The activity is divided into 2 parts. The first part being the 3-day workshop with 100 students from 10 schools in the deep south, focusing on general moon observation in order to determine Islamic significant days. While the second activity is exclusively for academic moon observation to determine the end of fasting period. This activity is mainly for religious leaders, students and local people in the south as observers prior to the announcement of Islamic Hari Raya.

6. Astronomy Youth Camp on the Beach

With the aim to create inspiration in astronomy learning, the 3-day activity received over 1,500 applicants nationwide. Only those 100 selected participants get to experience various activities such as naked-eye observation, constellations, celestial object observation through different telescopes, planetarium visit and Songkhla cultural experience and attractions.

7. Science Week

This activity is held for the public and students to make use of the ROP, Songkhla’s infrastructures. With the exhibition showcase, learning stations by skilled volunteers from previous activities, academic information is being transferred to visitors through over 10 learning stations to a total of 6,606 visitors.

8. NARIT Public Night

This is an activity provides an opportunity for the general public with interests in astronomy to observe at ROP, Songkhla every Saturday from 18.00 – 22. 00 hours. Participants can observe celestial objects through various types of telescopes. So far, the activity has been held for 8 times with 2,275 visitors and 25 amateur astronomers.

9. Higher Education Astronomical Research Project Training

Held during 23 – 25 August 2019 in Songkhla with 32 participants, aimed towards observation and equipment skills for astronomical research works.

10. School Astronomical Club

Held during 30 May – 1 June 2019 in Songkhla with 30 participants from 10 Schools Astronomical Societies, along with their 10 teachers.

 

Types of Telescopes for observation services

1. 14-meter Telescope is an up-to-date telescope, equipped with navigation and automatic tracking system for celestial objects, with Guider Scope to assist with high definition astrophotography.

Celestron EdgeHD 1400 , EdgeHD 9.25

Optical System : Advanced Coma-Free Telescope

Telescope Aperture : 14 inch (365 mm.) , 9.25 inch (234.95 mm)

Focal Length : 3910 mm. , 2350 mm.

Focal Ratio : F/11 , F/10

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (CGE PRO , CGE)

2. 150-milimeter High Quality Refracting Telescope, stands out with Apochromatic lens that comes in such a quality, making it visible to observe closely the Moon craters, Cloud details, Jupiter’s red storm and Mars craters.

Takahashi  TOA-150

Optical System : Refractor - Apochromatic

Telescope Aperture : 6 inch (150 mm.)

Focal Length : 1100 mm.

Focal Ratio : F/7.33

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (EM-400)

3. 130-milimeter High Quality Refracting Telecsope, stands out with Apochromatic lens that comes in such a quality. It is available for the public, who may bring along their cameras to connect with the telescope for their own astrophotography every Saturday night.

Takahashi  TOA-130

Optical System : Refractor - Apochromatic

Telescope Aperture : 5.11 inch (130 mm.)

Focal Length : 1000 mm.
Focal Ratio : F/7.7

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (EM-200)

4. 106-milimeter Refracting Telescope, for large celestial object observation such as Moon, Orion Nebula, Pleiades.

Takahashi  FSQ-106

Optical System : Refractor - Apochromatic

Telescope Aperture : 4.2 inch (106 mm.)

Focal Length : 530 mm.

Focal Ratio : F/5

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (EM-200)

5. 125-milimeter Binoculars is a large binoculars used for planet observation, open cluster, moon. This type of binoculars provide a rather dimentional images to observers than other types of telescopes.

Vixen BT126ss-A

Optical System : Refractor - Apochromatic

Telescope Aperture : 4.9 inch (126 mm.)

Focal Length : 625 mm.

Focal Ratio : F/5

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (Sirius) (astrotech)

6. Solar Telescope, designed especially for safe solar observation. Observers are able to see clearly of Solar Prominence, while other telescopes with solar filter could only see the sun spots.

Coronado 90 mm.

Optical System : Refractor - Apochromatic

Telescope Aperture : 3.5 inch (90 mm.)

Focal Length : 792 mm.

Focal Ratio : F/8.8

Filter : Hydrogen - Alpha

Mounting System : Equatorial Mount (Sirius,astrotech)

 

Types of Telescopes for astronomical education

1. 10-inch Dobsonian Telescope is the fundamental telescope used for youth activities at ROP, Songkhla.
2. Large Refracting Telescope, 4-inch and 5-inch telescopes are used for trainings and workshops at ROP, Songkhla.
3. Telescope Assemble Set, used for refracting telescope assemble process.